Deadfold sticker method

ABSTRACT

The new dispensing roll of deadfold stickers comprises a length of flexible carrier tape having a low adhesion surface and a multiplicity of flexible deadfold stickers releasably adhered to the low adhesion surface for easy removal therefrom. Each deadfold sticker comprises a laminate of pliable layers and at least two deadfold wires in spaced parallel alignment embedded in the laminate in a direction transverse to the length of the carrier tape. The carrier tape with releasably adhered deadfold stickers is wound upon itself in the dispensing roll. The dispensing roll is used in automatic machinery to form mouth-foldable deadfold reclosable bags; and the preferred reclosures are those having three creases of fold line formed by two folding steps.

This is a divisional of our co-pending application Ser. No. 07/790,349,filed Nov. 12, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,210.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to deadfold sticker systems, and moreparticularly to a new article of commerce, namely a dispensing roll ofdeadfold stickers. The invention also relates to a method of dispensingdeadfold reclosure stickers from a dispensing roll onto the side of aflexible bag, and to the closure folding of such bags.

Mouth-foldable deadfold reclosures to protect residual or unused bagcontents can be formed by making a simple roll or fold of a flattenedbag mouth over itself. The deadfold feature is part of the bag wall.

The desirability of incorporating mouth-foldable deadfold reclosurefeatures into the structure of a flexible bag has been recognized forages, even for over a century as, for example, illustrated by U.S. Pat.No. 331,357 of Dec. 1, 1885. Despite the desirability and benefits ofmouth-foldable deadfold reclosable bags, the heretofore known techniquesand procedures to make and use such bags have apparently been socumbersome and so poor that such reclosures have not heretofore, insofaras is known, enjoyed any significant adoption by manufacturers of baggedproducts.

The present invention provides the art with an entirely new andsimplified approach for the making of mouth-foldable deadfold reclosableflexible bags, and also provides deadfold reclosure folding. Especiallysignificant is the unique dispensing roll of this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a dispensing roll of deadfold stickers having,among other things, the unique property of deadfold wires transverselyaligned to the length of the dispensing roll (i.e., not coiled or curvedin the roll as happens in standard practice with deadfold wires alignedlengthwise in a roll). This preferred transverse alignment for the wirespermits the wires of each discrete sticker of the dispensing roll to bein a straight condition in the roll and therefore permits easierhandling of discrete stickers of the roll in automatic machinery foraffixing the stickers to bags.

The new dispensing roll of deadfold stickers comprises a length offlexible carrier tape having a low adhesion surface and a multiplicityof flexible deadfold stickers having a base surface releasably adheredto that low adhesion surface for easy removal therefrom. Each deadfoldsticker comprises a laminate of pliable layers plus at least twodeadfold wires in spaced parallel alignment embedded in the laminate ina direction transverse to the length of the carrier tape. The carriertape with the deadfold stickers releasably adhered to it is wound uponitself in the dispensing roll. Thus, the deadfold wires of the discretedeadfold stickers of the dispensing roll are in transverse parallelalignment in the roll.

The laminate of pliable layers of the stickers includes an adhesivelayer which forms the base surface releasably adhered to the lowadhesion surface of the tape. The most preferred adhesive layercomprises pressure sensitive adhesive.

The deadfold stickers are preferably in spaced linear relationship alongthe length of the carrier tape. They have two dimensions ofsignificance, namely a first dimension transverse to the length of thecarrier tape and a second dimension parallel to the length of thecarrier tape. Interestingly, the first dimension is most preferablygreater than the second dimension.

One of the more significant features of the new dispensing roll is thatits deadfold stickers are equipped with deadfold wires having a diameterat least twice as great (generally at least three times as great) as thetotal thickness of all other layers of the laminate forming the deadfoldsticker. The stickers are relatively exceedingly thin except for theirthickness caused by large or thick deadfold wires.

Several other features and characteristics of the dispensing roll, asfurther discussed below, make it highly advantageous for use in themanufacture of deadfold reclosable bags. One step of the manufacturingmethod is that of conveying flexible bags in linear alignment, with themouth end of the bags facing a common direction, and preferably with thebags unfilled and in relatively flattened condition. Another step isthat of drawing the flexible carrier tape from the dispensing roll ofthe invention, and this is done around a stripper or peeler element soas to release a discrete reclosure sticker from the tape and quickly orsimultaneously move the sticker into adherence (at least to a temporarydegree) onto the side or wall surface of a flexible bag. This is done ina manner such that the leading edge (with its deadfold wire near andparallel to that leading edge) is first released and temporarily adheredto the bag at a location near the bag mouth and effective to place thedeadfold wires in perpendicular relation to the bag mouth. Thetemporarily adhered reclosure sticker is then passed, with the area ofthe bag wall covered by it, between rollers to apply pressure for morefirmly affixing the reclosure sticker on the bag.

Many other benefits and advantages of the invention will be evident asthis description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a dispensing roll of theinvention in combination with apparatus of the invention for drawing acarrier tape of deadfold reclosure stickers from the dispensing roll andapplying the stickers onto the side of a flexible bag;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view, with parts broken away, of a shortlength of carrier tape and discrete deadfold stickers temporarilyadhered to the low-adhesion surface of the carrier tape;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2, withsome parts broken away, and with layers peeled apart at the right forvisual clarity;

FIGS. 4 to 7, inclusive, are schematic cross sections of illustrativevariations for the upper or outer layer structure of deadfold reclosurestickers of the invention; and

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are schematic perspective views of a flexible bagequipped with a deadfold reclosure sticker of the invention fixed to oneside of the bag; these views illustrate the steps or stages of thefold-over-fold technique for forming preferred reclosures using stickersof the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the dispensing roll 5 of the invention comprises alength of flexible carrier tape 10 and a multiplicity of flexibledeadfold stickers 20 releasably adhered to the carrier tape. Theadherence of the stickers to the carrier tape is strong enough to keepthe stickers 20 united to the carrier tape as it is drawn from a pay-outdispensing roll 5, but weak enough to permit easy removal or lift off ofthe stickers as by the technique of pulling the flexible carrier tape 10around a stripper or peeler element or bar 6. The length of carrier tapeleaving the stripper element 6 is wound upon a take-up reel 7 which ispowered in any suitable manner to effect the drawing of the carrier tapefrom the pay-out roll 5. Indexing or stepwise withdrawal of the carriertape from the pay-out roll is an alternative contemplated by theinvention, and may be important where a single apparatus set-up isemployed for applying one size deadfold sticker to a particular size bagand then at a later time employed for applying an entirely differentsize deadfold sticker to an entirely different size bag. The flow ofoperations for applying the deadfold stickers necessarily must beadjusted in speed or movement when the size of the stickers as well asthe bags is changed.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conveyor 8 carrying a multiplicity of open-mouthedbags 17 in linear sequential alignment and with the mouth end of thebags facing a common direction, illustratively a directly lateraldirection. Preferably the bags will be unfilled and in flattenedcondition at the time the stickers 20 are affixed.

The peel element 6 is preferably located rather close to the route ofthe bags 17 on the conveyor 8. For example, the peel bar may be within amillimeter or two of the bag surface on which a deadfold sticker is tobe applied. As a deadfold sticker 20 is released or pushed from thesurface of the carrier tape 10 by the action of drawing tape over thepeel bar 6, the leading edge of the deadfold sticker traverses towardthe surface of a bag 17 and makes contact with the bag surface. Stickers20 are provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface, as will bediscussed below, and this surface tends to adhere to most other surface(other than low adhesion or release coated surfaces). As the leadingedge of a sticker makes contact with the surface of a bag 17, itspressure-sensitive adhesive "grabs" the surface of the bag 17sufficiently to cause the deadfold sticker to be drawn with the movementof the bag on the conveyor 8. Thus, the motion of the conveyor 8 drawsthe leading edge of the deadfold sticker, because the leading edge isstuck on or grabs itself onto the surface of the bag 17. Therefore, theconveyor motion must be coordinated with the speed of motion (and anyindexing motion) of the take-up reel 7 in drawing the carrier tape 10.The result of the leading edge of the deadfold sticker grabbing andadhering to the surface of bag 17 sufficiently to cause the deadfoldsticker to be pulled by the movement of the bag 17 on the conveyor isthat the entire adhesive surface of the deadfold sticker becomes nicelytemporarily adhered to the surface of the bag--sometimes not sotemporarily when extremely aggressive pressure-sensitive adhesives areemployed. Thereafter, the bag 17 and temporarily adhered deadfoldsticker pass on the conveyor between a pair of pressure rollers 9 whichfunction to press and in essence permanently affix the deadfold stickeronto the side of a bag.

The application of the deadfold sticker 20 on the outer surface of a bagusing the procedure of FIG. 1 is such that the deadfold wires 26 and 28of the sticker extend perpendicularly to the mouth end 19 of the bag, asillustrated in FIG. 8. Thus, when the bag 17 in areas near its mouth 19is collapsed upon itself--that is, flattened--the act of folding themouth end upon itself effectively bends the deadfold wires 26 and 28 andthose wires maintain a closed condition (and folded condition) for thebag.

A closed condition at the mouth of the bag is formed simply by folding aflattened bag mouth over itself as schematically illustrated in FIG. 9.This, in essence, is a step of forming a first fold in the flattenedwalls of the mouth end of the bag. This is but the first fold or crease29; the crease is parallel to the mouth of the bag, and the fold iseffective also to fold the affixed sticker and its deadfold wires into adouble thickness. This first fold alone is suitable to effect mouthclosure, but not a particularly effective closure. More is required toform the most preferred deadfold reclosure.

Following the first fold which gives a crease 29 as schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 9, the portion of the bag having the dual thickness(i.e., double thickness of sticker and folded bag walls formed as aresult of the first fold in FIG. 9) is folded upon itself, to form thestructure illustrated in FIG. 10. This second fold effectively puts twomore folds or creases 38 and 39 into the mouth end of the bag, but withthe result that the deadfold sticker of the mouth end of the bageffectively ends up with three folds in it (and in its deadfold wires).Thus two folds at the mouth end effectively create three folds or creaselines in the sticker 20 and its deadfold wires as well as in theflattened walls at the mouth end of the bag. A surprisingly strong andeven "tight" reclosure is thus formed.

Further details for the dispensing roll of deadfold reclosure stickerswill no be discussed with particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Theflexible carrier tape 10 is provided with a low-adhesion surface 12.Amongst the most economical of carrier tapes is paper; and a papercoated with a silicone low-adhesion coating is preferred. It is,however, within the ambit of the invention to employ any other flexiblecarrier tape having sufficient tensile strength in the longitudinaldirection of it to withstand the application procedure for puttingdeadfold stickers on bags as illustrated in FIG. 1. Paper having about 1or 1.5 mil thickness (e.g., about 40 lb. per ream) is useful as well aspaper having a greater mil thickness range. Carriers are to be selectedfor reliability against tensile tear or accidental break during tapehandling operations. Thus, tough polymer films, including polyesterfilms, suitably provided with low adhesion release surfaces for releaseof pressure-sensitive adhesives, are advantageously employed in thepractice of the invention. A variety of flexible tapes with low-adhesionsurfaces, either as presently commercially available or as may bedeveloped as technology advances, can be useful in the practice of theinvention.

Most preferably, the deadfold stickers 20 are carried on the carriertape as discrete deadfold stickers, as contrasted to a continuous stripor layer of deadfold material. Further, discrete stickers 20 have theirlateral edges 35 and 37 (see FIG. 2) most preferably slightly spacedfrom the lateral edges of adjacent deadfold stickers on the carrier tape10. Slight spacing between the lateral edges of adjacent deadfoldstickers, as illustrated by the spaces 15 and 16 in FIG. 2, contributesto discrete application of a deadfold sticker per bag when one employsapplication apparatus comparable to that illustrated in FIG. 1. Suchslight spacing may vary from as little as a millimeter or two up toabout a centimeter. Thus, while abutment of lateral edges 35 and 37against comparable lateral edges of adjacent deadfold stickers in lineararrangement on the carrier tape is possible, it is not preferred.

The deadfold stickers 20 have a first dimension 34 which is transverseto the length of the carrier tape and a second dimension 36 which isparallel with or in alignment with the length of the carrier tape 10.The first dimension 34 is shown in FIG. 2 as being greater than thesecond dimension 36. Illustratively, the first dimension 34 (parallelwith deadfold wires 26 and 28) may vary from a low of about 3 or 4 cm upto as much as 40 or 50 cm, with lengths of about 5 cm to 25 cm probablythe most common. The second dimension 36 (or width of a sticker)generally will fall within about 2 cm to 30 cm, with widths betweenabout 3 cm and 20 cm being the most popular. Most stickers of thisinvention will have a greater length 34 than width 36, although in somerare instances stickers for some relatively wide mouthed bags may begreater in the second dimension 36 than the first dimension 34. For themost part, stickers of the invention are substantially rectangular ifnot truly rectangular. Of course, the corners of a rectangular stickermay be somewhat rounded if desired.

While not critical, preferred practice is to maintain the firstdimension 34 of the deadfold stickers less than the width of the carriertape so as to provide, at each end of the transversely oriented deadfoldstickers, a border 13 and 14 of carrier tape. The borders 13 and 14 ofcarrier tape may be as small as 1 or 2 millimeters up to probably abouta centimeter.

Optionally, many more deadfold wires than the two marked as 26 and 28may be employed in a deadfold sticker according to the invention Afurther deadfold wire 27 is illustrated in FIG. 2. To be observed isthat the deadfold wires terminate and are exposed at the ends of thestickers along lateral edges of tape 10. On the other hand, the wires intheir length direction are not exposed along lateral sides or edges 35and 37 of a sticker. The wires in their length direction, whilepreferably near edges of a sticker, are most preferably not at theextreme edge of a sticker. They are spaced from the edges and fullyembedded along their length within the laminate of layers so as to beinseparable therefrom.

The deadfold stickers 20 have a base surface 21 which forms theinterface or surface next to the low-adhesion surface of the carrier 10.Each deadfold sticker 20 comprises a laminate of pliable layersidentified as 22, 24, 25, and 30 (see FIG. 3), plus at least two basicdeadfold wires 26 and 28. The important point is that the deadfold wiresare embedded in spaced parallel alignment in the laminate and lie in adirection transverse to the length of the carrier tape. The carriertape, with its releasably adhered deadfold stickers, is wound uponitself in forming the dispensing rolls, with the result that the wires,as they exist in the dispensing roll, are in transverse parallelalignment.

Each reclosure sticker has an outer layer structure 30 having an exposedface 31, and an inner layer structure 24 situated between the outerlayer structure and the carrier tape 10. A bonding layer 25 permanentlyunites the outer layer structure 30 to the inner layer structure 24, andsecures the deadfold wires in embedded condition within the laminate. Anadhesive layer 22 is united to the inner layer structure and forms thebase surface 21 of the deadfold sticker.

The deadfold wires 26 and 28 are at least twice as great in thickness asthe total thickness of all of the other layers of the laminate formingthe discrete sticker. (This excludes the carrier tape thickness; it isnot part of the discrete sticker.) In short, the most preferred deadfoldstickers of the invention are those having the thinnest possiblethickness for their laminate of pliable layers, with deadfold wiresembedded in such laminates and having a thickness at least twice asgreat and frequently three or four times as great as the total thicknessof all other layers of the deadfold stickers.

The outer layer structure 30 may vary in thickness from about 0.5 mil toabout 5.0 mil (0.0005 to 0.005 in.; about 12 microns up to about 130microns). It may consist of a simple, single polymeric film, suitably ofpolyethylene teraphthalate or polypropylene. It may comprise amultiplicity of layers which together form the outer layer structure 30of the stickers. In this connection, reference is made to FIGS. 4through 7 inclusive, each of which illustrates multiple layers or filmswhich may be employed as the outer layer structure 30.

In FIG. 4, the outermost layer is a clear film 40 (such as one ofpolyethylene teraphthalate, polypropylene, or other polymeric material)having a back reverse print or backprint 42 on its back or interiorside. The backprint 42 may comprise any suitable inking or printingmaterial, and may be a continuous or discontinuous layer of print ofselected colors. A metallized layer 46 (e.g., a vapor deposit of metal)is applied upon a clear or opaque polymeric film 48. Then the metallizedfilm 48 and the backprinted film 40 are adhesively united together by athin layer of any suitable bonding adhesive 44.

In FIG. 5, a clear polymeric film such as polyethylene teraphthalate isprovided with a metallized layer deposit 56 on one side and a print ofany suitable design 52 on the other. Over the print is then applied avarnish coat or clear overcoat of any suitable nature for the protectionof the print layer 52.

FIG. 6 illustrates a basic layer of paper 64 on which a print design 62is applied and then a varnish layer 60 as an overcoat for protection ofthe print layer 62.

FIG. 7 is intended to illustrate use of a holographic layer 74 having arear metallized layer 76 and a front print design 72, with an overcoatof varnish 70 for the protection of the print layer 72.

An almost infinite variety of layers, continuous and discontinuous, maybe employed in the make-up of the outer layer structure 30 of thedeadfold stickers. Those of FIGS. 4-7 are but illustrative. Advertisingmaterial may be incorporated in the outer layer structure 30, as forexample illustrated by an ice cream cone 33 as well as the letters "ABC"in FIG. 2. Entirely clear or transparent outer layer structures may beemployed. Decorative holographic designs may be used. A paper outerlayer structure, unmarked and having an outer surface 31 receptive tomarking as by ink or pencil, may be employed. The most preferred outerlayer structures either consist of or have a layer of polymeric film ora layer of paper.

The lower or inner layer structure 24 is almost always formed of asingle layer of either polymeric film or paper. However, it too may beformed of multiple layers. Generally, however, the inner layer structurewill never exceed about 3 mils thickness and frequently will be as thinas about 0.5 mils, especially when the inner layer is or includes apolymeric film such as a polyester film or a polypropylene film. A 48gauge Mylar polyester film is about 0.5 mil in thickness or about 25microns in thickness, and is one of the more ideal thin inner layerstructures to employ. However, 25-lb. per ream paper is about 2 mils or50 microns thick, costs about half that of the 48 gauge Mylar polyesterfilm, and in some applications is quite suitable to employ as either theouter or inner layer structure or both. Most ideally, both the outerlayer structure and inner layer structure are formed using a polymericfilm, especially biaxially oriented films since they generally exhibitgood tensile strength. In this connection, the outer layer structuremost preferably will exhibit a tensile strength in the directiontransverse to (i.e., across) deadfold wires 26 and 28 at some level onthe order of about 15,000 psi or more, with a yield value exceedingabout half that figure of tensile strength. The tear and tensilestrength for the outer layer structure should be sufficient to resistpuncture of the outer structure by the large deadfold wires 26 and 28 inthe laminate.

The bonding layer 25, as illustrated in FIG. 3, is such that itpermanently holds the outer layer structure 30 and the inner layerstructure 24 together, with the deadfold wires 26 and 28 fixed betweenthem. Any suitable bonding material may be employed, with attentiongiven to its properties for securely uniting the particular surfaces ofthe outer 30 and inner 24 layer structures. In this respect, polymericfilm surfaces may be enhanced for their receptivity to bonding by coronatreatment or any other of a variety of treatments currently available ordeveloped as technology advances. A variety of bonding adhesives may beemployed and polyurethane hot melt adhesives, especially those which aremoisture curable, are but one example of adhesives desirable for unitingpolyester films. For the most part, hot melt adhesives are preferredover solvent based ones for reasons based on avoidance of pollutionproblems. Hot melt adhesive formulations based on ethylene vinyl acetateare useful in the practice of the invention, especially where theadhesive bonding layer 25 is in contact with paper surfaces for theouter layer structure 30 and the inner layer structure 24. Still otherbonding adhesives may be employed so long as the selection of theadhesive is based upon its properties for uniting particular surfacematerials contained on the surface of the outer and inner layers to beunited. Pressure-sensitive adhesives may be employed but are notpreferred because they too frequently allow some shift or flow of theirmaterial and thus may allow undesired shift or movement of the embeddeddeadfold wires. An important characteristic of the bonding layer is thatit is flexible and does not crack on bending or folding.Elastomeric-type bonding adhesives which set up or cure or cool to anon-tacky condition are preferred, of which the polyurethanes as well asthe ethylene vinyl acetates are exemplary.

The bonding layer is maintained as thin as possible but thick enough topermanently adhere the outer and inner layers of the laminate. Thethickness generally will fall within the range of 0.5 to 2 mils, withthe outer limits of thickness for the bonding layer at approximately 0.2to 5 mils (about 2 or 3 microns up to about 125 or 130 microns).

Deadfold wires 26 and 28 for the deadfold stickers of this inventionwill rarely be as small as 27 gauge or 0.0175 in. in diameter.Preferably they will be at least as large as 25 gauge and even as largeas 21 gauge or 20 gauge--20 gauge being about 0.0348 in. in diameter.Ductile wires of various metals or other materials may be employed asdeadfold wires in the practice of the invention, with ductile wires oftin, iron, or aluminum the most preferred. The deadfold wires arefrequently round in cross section, but other wire cross sections such assquares or rectangles may be employed.

The adhesive layer 22 typically and most preferably is apressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Commonly, the pressure-sensitiveadhesives are known as rubber-resin type adhesives. Depending on thespecific adhesive formulation, they may be applied as a hot melt, awater dispersion, or a solvent dispersed or dissolved system. They havea balance of adhesion, cohesion, stretchiness, and elasticity whichmakes them aggressively and stably tacky at normal room temperatureconditions, and indeed even at relatively low and also high temperatureconditions. While known as rubber-resin type adhesives, it is importantto recognize that the balance of properties exhibited by rubber-resincombinations can also arise and be exhibited by single polymericmaterials or co-polymers, particularly those having an acrylate base.Suitable thicknesses for pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 20 will varybut generally will be at least about 2 or 3 microns and most often atleast about 20 microns or even at least about 25 microns but rarely willbe thicker than 3 mil or about 75 microns.

Importantly, the several layers making up the laminate as illustrated inFIG. 3 are maintained as thin as possible in the stickers made accordingto the invention, with the deadfold wires of the stickers dominating insize. Thus, the deadfold stickers having a thickness for the laminate oflayers apart from the adhesive layer 22 not in excess of about 7 mils,and even a total thickness for all of the laminate layers including theadhesive not in excess of about 7 mils, in combination with deadfoldwires at least twice as thick in diameter or breadth (in all directionstransverse to the length of the wire) give exceedingly strong deadfoldperformance for the practice of the invention with high integrity forthe sticker as a discrete article not easily pulled apart. In fact,attempts to separate layers of the sticker or separate deadfold wiresfrom a sticker made according to the invention as most ideally practicedare destined for failure inasmuch a total mutilation of the sticker isrequired to accomplish such separation.

Manufacture of the stickers of the invention is suitably accomplishedusing known techniques such as those for manufacturing labels, exceptthat deadfold wires are added and the layers pressed together to formthe external contours of product as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thedispensing roll of the invention is most readily formed by the techniquefor fixing printed sheets on a web as described in the U.S. Pat. No.4,488,922 of Dec. 18, 1984, here incorporated by reference. Using thattechnique, laminates of outer layer structure, inner layer structure,and bonding layer with embedded deadfold wires are transferred from astack of the same onto the carrier tape after applying adhesive to therelease surface of the tape. The carrier tape with releasably adhereddeadfold stickers is wound upon itself to form the dispensing roll; thewinding may place the stickers on the inside surface of the tape(nearest the core) or on the outside surface of the tape as illustratedin FIG. 1.

In some applications as where designs or advertising or decorativematerial on an underlying bag surface are to show through the sticker,it is important to select the materials for the several layers of thesticker so as to provide for that transparency for the total laminate.Most frequently, however, stickers of the invention will contain layersof opaque material and will have separate markings or advertisingmaterial or the like on them.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that this invention maybe embodied in still other specific forms than illustrated withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics of it. Theillustrated embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respectsillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than th foregoing description;and all variations that come within the meaning and range of equivalencyof the claims are therefore intended to be embraced thereby.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method of dispensing deadfold reclosurestickers from a dispensing roll of the same onto the side of an openmouthed bag, wherein said dispensing roll comprises a length of flexiblecarrier tape having a low adhesion surface and a plurality of flexibledeadfold reclosure stickers releasably adhered to said low adhesionsurface for easy removal therefrom, each said deadfold reclosure stickercomprising a laminate of pliable layers and at least two deadfold wiresin spaced parallel alignment permanently embedded in said laminate in adirection transverse to the length of said carrier tape, said methodincluding the steps of:A. conveying a multiplicity of open-mouthed bagsin linear alignment with the mouth of the bags facing a commondirection, said bags being unfilled and in flattened condition, B.drawing said flexible carrier tape with its releasably adhered stickersfrom said dispensing roll around a peel element so as to sequentiallyrelease discrete reclosure stickers from said tape in a manner such thatthe leading edge of the sticker having a deadfold wire near it is firstreleased and passed into temporary adherence onto the side of a conveyedbag at a location near the bag mouth so that the deadfold wires are inperpendicular relationship to the bag mouth, and C. passing the baghaving a temporarily adhered reclosure sticker thereon between rollersto apply pressure for permanently affixing said reclosure sticker onsaid bag.
 2. The method of forming a reclosable open mouth of a flexiblebag, comprising:A. removing the flexible carrier tape from a deadfoldreclosure sticker temporarily adhered to said carrier tape in adispensing roll of said stickers, each said sticker comprising alaminate of pliable layers and at least two deadfold wires in spacedparallel alignment embedded along their length in said laminate in adirection transverse to the length of said carrier tape, said removal ofsaid carrier tape comprising drawing tape over a peel element, B.flattening the mouth of said bag to place opposing side walls of saidmouth in substantial contact, and C. affixing said deadfold reclosuresticker on a side wall surface of said bag at a location bordering themouth of said bag and with the deadfold wires of said sticker extendingperpendicular to the mouth of said bag.
 3. The method of claim 2additionally comprising the step of making a first fold in the walls ofthe mouth end of said bag by folding said walls at the mouth end uponthemselves in a manner effecting a first crease parallel to the mouth ofthe bag, said first fold being effective also to crease and fold theaffixed sticker and its deadfolw wires into a double thickness.
 4. Themethod of claim 3 additionally comprising folding the double thicknessof said affixed sticker and mouth end walls upon themselves in a mannereffecting, by a single second fold step, two more folds in said stickerand in said walls at the mouth end of said bag, said two more foldshaving crease lines parallel to said first crease.